How to choose professional coffee beans for purchase?A professional agency company should have the following characteristics:

When selecting an agency,the following key factors should be carefully evaluated:

• Industryexperienceverification
  • ViewthecoffeebeansofthepastthreeyearsCase(Itisrecommendedtoprovideacopyofthecustomsdeclarationform)
  • Confirmwhetherthetargetproductionareahasundergonespecialcertification(suchastheGIcertificationforYunnancoffee)
• Qualification certification system
  • Required:CustomsAEOcertification,foodimportandexportqualifications
  • Bonuspoints:ISO22000,HACCP,andFSCsustainabilitycertifications
• Global Service Network
• The customs clearance capacity of major coffee production regions (Brazil,Vietnam,Colombia,etc.)
• The distribution channel resources of the target market (such as the ability to connect with bakeries in the European Union)

What documents are required for the import and export of coffee beans?

According to the latest regulations of 2025,the list of required documents is as follows:

• Basicdocuments
  • Book(payspecialattentiontotheFORMFofCentralandSouthAmericancountries)
  • QualityInspectionReport(includingmoisturecontent≤12.5%,proportionofdefectivebeans,etc.)
• Special documents
  • Pesticideresiduedetectionreport(thenumberofitemstobetestedhasbeenincreasedto248bytheEuropeanUnion)
  • Bakingcertificate(forimportingcountriesofprocessedcoffeebeans)
• Logistics documents
• The temperature and humidity records of the special containers for coffee
• Moisture-proof packaging compliance declaration

What are the key changes in coffee bean tariffs in 2025?

Update on tariff policies in key markets:

• USMarket
  • Thetariffonrawbeansremainsat0%,butthereisanewpolicyoftaxreliefforsustainablecertification
  • Thetariffonbakedbeanshasbeenreducedfrom6.4%to5.2%(effectivefromJanuary2025).
• EU market
• The implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will impose an additional carbon emission fee of 8 euros per ton of raw beans
• Organic certified coffee beans are eligible for a 2% tariff refund
• Southeast Asian market
  • Theintra-ASEANsoybeantradeenjoyszerotariffs(requiringaFORMDcertificate).
  • Vietnamimposesa15%value-addedtaxondeep-roastedcoffeebeans(includingtheimportstage).

How to avoid quality loss during the transportation of coffee beans?

Based on our practical experience in coffee export in South America:

• Optimizationofpackagingsolutions
  • UseGrainProwaterproofandbreathablepackaging+vacuumsecondarysealing
  • Itisrecommendedtopack60kgperbag(theweight-bearinglimitofinternationalstandardjutebags).
• Transportation process monitoring
  • Thehumidityinthecontainerneedstobemaintainedat55-65%(equippedwithanelectronicrecorder).
  • Forseafreightwithatransittimeofmorethan30days,itismandatorytouserefrigeratedcontainers.
• Key points of the insurance terms and conditions
• It is required to insure against the risk of cross-contamination (especially during mixed-load transportation).
• It is clear that any change in the moisture content exceeding 0.5% falls within the scope of insurance claims.

How to handle common trade disputes?

Based on the experience of handling cases by the world’s top 500 companies:

• Qualitydisputes
  • InitiatetheSOPprocessimmediately:Retainthesamplesofthesamebatch→Third-partyreinspection→ComparisonwiththeSCAAstandards
  • ItisrecommendedthatthecontractstipulatethattheSGSinspectionresultsfromSwitzerlandshallbethefinalbasisforsettlementofdisputes
• Customs clearance delay
  • ObtainingAEOcertificationinadvancecanreduce50%inspectiontime
  • Establishan"EmergencyClearancePackage":Includingelectronicversionsofallfiles+locallanguagetranslations
• Payment risk
• We suggest that new clients adopt the LC+DP combined payment method
• Use Sinosure to cover political risks and buyer’s default risks